Wire-stretcher.



F. STANLAKE.

1 WIRE STRETGHER.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN.16, 1909.

932,828. Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

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FREDERICK STANLAKE, OF OWOSSO, MICHIGAN.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31, .1909.

Application filed January 16, 1909. Serial No. 472,626.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Fnnnnnrcn STANLAKE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Owosso, in the county of Shiawassee and State oflhlichigan, have invented a new and Improved ire-Stretcher, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in wire stretchers, andmore particularly to that type of stretcher in which there are employeda ratchet member and a pivoted lever member having dogs in engagementwith the ratchet member and. having its pivot movable longitudinally ofthe ratchet.

One special object of my invention is to provide an improved form ofconnection between the lever and the ratchet.

Another object is to so construct the ratchet that it may be supportedon end and used for raising weights, buildings, or heavy objects; and athird object is to provide means for facilitating the releasing of thedogs from the ratchet, so that the device may be worked in the reversedirection.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures, and in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of a device constructed in accordance with myinvention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion thereof, the separate armsof the lever being shown in section; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation on asmaller scale, showing the device employed for lifting.

In my im 'n'oved device I employ two op positcly-disposed ratchet bars10 and 11, dircctl united at one end and connected to a foot piece orbase 12 at the opposite end. T he two bars lie in substantially the sameplane and spaced apart a uniform distance throughout their length. Theratchet teeth on the two bars are upon opposite sides and face away fromthe foot piece or base 12. The base is preferably in the form of a circular disk having upwardly-extending nigs 9;, between which the ends ofthe two ratchet bars are rigidly secured. The disk is provided with acentral aperture in alinement with the slot between the two bars andthrough which the wire, chain, rope, or the like, which is beingstretched, may extend. Tn connection with the two ratchet bars, I employa handle or lever 14:, separated at its lower end to form two separateparallel branches or arms 15, lying upon opposite sides of the tworatchet bars. The two branches or arms carry two ll-shapedpivotally-inonnted pawls or dogs 16'disposed upon opposite sides of thetwo ratchets, and drawn toward each other into engagement with theratchets by small transversely extcnding coil springs 17. Intermediatethe two ratchet bars, I provide a hook 18 having two separate branchesor arms 19 disposed adjacent the outer surfaces of the two branches orarms of the latter. The two arms 15 and the two arms 19 are connectedtogether by a transversely-extending pivot pin 20, and on this pin andbetween the two arms 15 is a roller 21 of a diameter substantially equalto the distance between the ratchet bars, and of a thicknesssubstantially equal to the thickness of said bars and to the distance between the arms 15. Pivotally connected to the pin at one end thereof, isa releasing love 22 extending between the two pawls 16 and havingupwardly and downwardlyextending projections 23, for engagement ith saidpawls to move the latter out of engagement with the ratchets. Thereversing lever is connected by a link 24 to a short handle 25, pivotedto the lever 14 adjacent its outer end, whereby the person operating themain lever 14 may hold the reversing lever in any desired position.

In the use of my improved device as a wire stretcher, an anchor chain 26is secured to any stationary object, as, for instance, a tree or post,and is connected to the end of the two ratchet bars in any suitablemanner, as, for instance, by a hook 27 and ring 28. A chain 29 connectedto the wire to be stretched, is extended through the aperture in thebase plate 20 and connected to the hook 18. By moving the lever back andforth in the plane of the two ratchet bars, the hook 18 and the lowerend of the lever are caused to move along the ratchet bar by thealternate engagement of the two pawls. If the pawls reach the end of theratchet bar and the wire is not stretched to the desired tension, a pin30 may be extended through the chain adjacent the base plate 12, toprevent the return movement of the chain, and the latter may then bedetached from the hook 18 and the lever and pawls returned to the end ofthe ratchet bar adjacent the base plate. In case it is desired to loosenthe wire or chain 29 gradually, this may be accomplished by swinging thelever let back and forth and alternately detaching the two pawls fromengagement with the ratchet bars.

In case the device is to be employed for lifting, it is supported on endsubstantially as shown in Fig. 3, and instead of employing a chain 29, Iemploy a slide 31 located between the two ratchet bars and having anoutwardly extending branch, shoulder or arm 32, which may engage withthe device to be lifted. Otherwise, the construction for stretching wireor for lifting weights, is identically the 'same.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

A device of the class described, including two ratchet bars connectedtogether at each end and having their teeth disposed upon oppositeedges, a lever disposed in the plane of said bars and having two armsdisposed upon opposite sides of said bars, two pawls pivoted to saidarms and in engagement with said ratchet bars, a hook disposedintermediate said bars and having two arms pivotally secured to the armsof said lever, a second lever pivoted to one of the arms of thefirst-mentioned lever, and means for operating said last-mentioned leverto hold either of said pawls out of engagement with its correspondingratchet bar.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK STANLAKE.

Witnesses Oscar: C. Pos'r, C. E. Hnnsnnv.

